This blog and newsletter have historically focused on air and energy. How can you save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and be environmentally compliant? But another important part of a good sustainability plan is water conservation, which is becoming a bigger issue as we face future shortages of quality water. Water has historically been “cheap” and overlooked as an avenue of study. But rates are rising and even in areas with ample supply, it is needlessly costly to be wasteful. Ways to reduce your water usage will save you cost, as well as put you in a more flexible condition.
Water resources are commonly shared. If you manage a facility that needs clean water to make product, there are likely other facilities nearby sharing water from the same source (reservoir system, wells, etc.), not to mention nearby farmers, and residents. If you use what is perceived to be “more than your fair share” of water, that could be both very expensive and put you in a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis other stakeholders.
Optimize Your Infrastructure
An easy way to reduce water use is to use water-saving fixtures. Let the technology do the savings and the people involved won’t know the difference (or feel inconvenienced).
Leaks: An overlooked avenue of water loss is through leaks of water through the byzantine pipes of a facility. One area that is a common candidate is condensate from steam boiler systems. There will always be losses, but is the amount returning as condensate somewhat equal to the water sent out as steam? If not, investigate and see where water may be lost and do the necessary repairs. Even a “little” leak that seems innocuous, when continued 24/7, can result in a large water loss. Don’t take condensate or water shipped from some other place for granted that it will reach the destination.
Toilets: A typical toilet uses about 1.6 gallons of water per flush (gpf). High-efficiency toilets typically use around 20% less per flush. The USEPA recommends models that are water efficient through its WaterSense program or Maximum Performance (MaP). Dual-flush models, popular in Europe, provide 2 options; for liquid waste (0.8-1.1 gpf), and for solid waste (1.3-1.6 gpf). Pressure-assist toilets push water and waste down the drain with a pressurization system and use 0.8-1 gpf.
Urinals: Low-flow urinals use less water to rinse away the urine. Some models use as little as 1 pint of water per flush (0.125 gpf), saving 87%. Waterless models rely on gravity to drain urine through a lighter liquid that prevents odorous compounds from seeping through into the air.
Sinks: Aerators are a very cheap and effective way to reduce the amount of water coming out of a faucet. The water does “its job” (washing hands, rinsing dishes, filling up pots) with reduced water flow, reducing water use by up to 75%.
Maintenance, It’s Always Maintenance
I have said in a number of articles in this blog and newsletter the hidden gains of energy cost savings, increased productivity and reliability by doing regular maintenance. Yes, it is not exciting and hard to boast about, but savings are achieved with renewed and improved maintenance. Train your staff to read and follow manufacturer’s procedures. You have paid some for the various water-saving features. Make sure equipment is operating properly to get your money’s worth and maximize savings and benefits.
CCES has the experts to help you put together a comprehensive sustainability program to maximize your savings and benefits in water conservation, energy usage, waste, etc. Specific for what you do and specific for your needs and limitations. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.